ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. track — a song
  6. fine — all right
  7. game — wild animals
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. game — a match
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fine — high quality
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pit — in a race
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pit — a hole
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. track — a path
  24. chair — a professorship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com